Facial hair. It’s an uncomfortable subject for many of Us ladies to discuss — which simply means we need to talk about it more often. We’ve been conditioned to believe that facial hair is limited to men, but whether light or dark, everyone has peach fuzz! Despite what social media, airbrushed pictures and photoshop show you, it’s normal and natural — albeit inconvenient.
Removing facial hair isn’t a walk in the park, especially if you want a baby-smooth finish without any remnants. Men can use a regular razor to shave their upper lip, chin and cheeks; if you want a smooth finish, however, you’ll want to avoid it. Shaving with a regular razor will leave your hair thicker and more visible than before. Waxing is a valid alternative, but waxing is painful, time-consuming and expensive. What’s one to do?
If you haven’t tried dermaplaning, your mind will be blown. Dermaplaning is using a fine blade to exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin cells, hairs and fuzz. It strips away the top layers of your skin — including the peach fuzz — so you’re left with smooth, flawless skin. The process also reduces the appearance of acne scars, fine lines and hyperpigmentation while revealing brighter, more youthful skin.
There are a lot of dermaplane razors out there, but if you’re looking for a high-quality eco-friendly option that does a better job than your local aesthetician, we found just the tool. This single-blade facial razor is a bestseller for a reason, amassing a cult following on social media and beyond. Stainless steel Japanese precision blades are just the beginning!
This refillable dermaplane razor creates a smooth canvas; it’s guaranteed to reveal radiant, even skin that’s ready for your makeup and skincare. You can tell it’s a high-quality razor by the weight of the metal handle! This tool is easy to hold and control, ensuring you don’t remove too much or too little.
To use, simply pull the skin taut and drag the razor downward — in the direction of hair growth — at a 30-degree angle. Once the hair is removed, apply a gentle moisturizer and allow the skin to rest before applying any makeup. Each blade cartridge an be used three times, so be sure to wipe the blade clean with a tissue or cloth after use. You’ll only need to dermaplane once every few weeks. The set comes with two blades, so you’ll be set for months!
Reviewers are obsessed with the quality, noting that it’s “not like the cheap plastic ones with flimsy blades” you may find at drugstores. One states it’s “just as good as a professional’s job” — and it’s much less expensive, too.
Princess Kate Middleton was fully thrust into the spotlight when she and Prince William dated for more than a decade before tying the knot in 2011. But just because she became a royal doesn’t mean she pushed her own family out of her life.
In fact, the Princess of Wales has remained close with her younger siblings, sister Pippa Middleton and brother James Middleton, from birth.
“We spend a lot of time together. We still do a lot together as a family. We’re very close,” Pippa told NBC in 2014. “We have a very normal, sisterly relationship. And, you know, we support each other and get each other’s opinions and things.”
Pippa also served as maid of honor at Kate and William’s wedding, and James read a passage from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible at their 2011 nuptials.
While promoting a mental health campaign in 2017, Kate opened up about why she’s so interested in advocating for the wellbeing of children across the globe, noting that parents Michael Middleton and Carole Middleton taught her about the importance of qualities like “kindness, respect and honesty.”
“I realize how central values like these have been to me throughout my life. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte, just how important these things are as they grow up,” she said at the time, per The Standard. “In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.”
She continued, “People often ask me why I am so interested in the mental health of children and young people. The answer is quite simple: it is because I think that every child should have the best possible start in life. When I was growing up I was very lucky. My family was the most important thing to me.”
William also has a good relationship with his wife’s family. In May 2021, the Prince of Wales opened up about missing his in-laws amid quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Some people are quite happy they haven’t seen their in-laws for a year,” he said while spending time with emergency responders in Scotland, according to Marie Claire U.K. “I love my in-laws.”
Keep reading to find out about Kate’s relationship with her family.
Carole Middleton
Carole and Kate’s relationship has always been tight.
Though Carole typically does not speak out herself, the Party Pieces founder told The Telegraph in 2018 that she was heavily involved in planning the royal wedding.
“We talked about music…everything. I was involved lots with both Pip’s and Catherine’s weddings,” she said.
While speaking to Good Housekeeping in 2021, Carole opened up about her close relationship with her grandkids. William and Kate share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“I want to run down the hills, climb the trees, and go through the tunnel at the playground,” she told the outlet at the time. “As long as I am able to, that’s what I’ll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides.”
Royal author Phil Dampierrevealed in June 2021 that Kate also “turns to her for advice and comfort all the time” and reiterated that she spends “a lot of time” with William and Kate’s kids.
“Her mom has been staying with her to help her recuperate,” the source said. Carole was also photographed heading to an appointment with Kate earlier that month.
In April 2024, Carole and husband Michael were “forced to sell Party Pieces in May 2023 due to mounting debts,” according to U.K.’s The Times, but Carole put her role as a mother above all else
“No one in the royal family is embarrassed by the failure of Party Pieces,” author Christopher Andersen, who has penned bestselling books about the royals including Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Megan, exclusively told Us Weekly.
Another source added, “Carole is desperately trying to keep Catherine fully focused on her recovery. It’s a very worrying time for the family but they are not looking for any assistance from their children and don’t want them to worry.”
Michael Middleton
Kate and her dad Michael have had a solid relationship through the years. Though Kate and Pippa were born in the United Kingdom, Michael moved their family to Jordan in 1984 while working for British Airways and lived there for nearly three years. Kate’s former teacher told The Daily Mail in 2023 that the doting dad would sometimes pick her up while wearing his uniform, adding, “The kids used to get very excited and run to see him.”
Ahead of Kate and William’s 2011 nuptials – where Michael walked his eldest child down the aisle – William shared a sweet and funny story about asking for Kate’s hand in marriage.
“Well, I was torn between asking Kate’s dad first and then the realization that he might actually say no dawned upon me,” he said. “So I thought if I ask Kate first, then he can’t really say no. So I did it that way round.”
The pair also have fun outside of her royal duties. The father-daughter duo attended Wimbledon together in 2021, and that same year, both Michael and Carole attended Kate’s first-ever Christmas carol concert alongside Pippa and James.
Pippa Middleton
Kate has had a close relationship with younger sister Pippa (born in September 1983) since they were young, and their strong bond has continued to flourish into adulthood.
Pippa became a fixture in the media after serving as Kate’s maid of honor during her royal wedding to William in 2011, wearing a form-fitting gown that nearly stole the show.
“We spend a lot of time together,” she said during a 2014 Today show appearance. “We can sort of be normal with each other, treat each other normally, and that’s sort of kept us all fixed to the ground. We’re very close.”
Though Kate “had no idea” that Pippa was about to get engaged to now-husband James Matthews in 2016, a source told Us Weekly at the time that “Kate is so happy for Pippa. She knows how much this means to her and how much she loves James.”
The sisters have been by each other’s sides through some of the biggest moments of their lives, including births. Just hours after Kate and William welcomed their youngest child, Prince Louis, in 2018, Pippa visited the happy family at Kensington Palace.
In 2021, Pippa honored her sister by giving her and Matthews’ older daughter Grace the same middle name as the Duchess of Wales: Elizabeth.
James Middleton
James is the youngest Middleton sibling, born April 1987. Though he typically keeps out of the spotlight, he’s made a few rare comments over the years that give insight into his relationship with Kate.
“I’m extremely proud,” he said on a July 2023 episode of Good Morning Britain via a video shared by The Daily Mail. “I’m always taken aback by how much she does do, and that does always continue to sit at the forefront of my mind. But actually, to be honest, she’s my sister—so I know all of her sort of quirks and everything. And actually, to see her blossoming in that role, I’m very proud of her.”
After Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, James broke his silence on his sister’s health in a throwback photo of the pair shared via Instagram.
“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too ,” he wrote.
Months later, James offered exclusive insight to Us Weekly on what Kate is like behind closed doors.
“Catherine is very much on a public stage and I’m in awe of a lot of the things she does,” he said. “I think the thing I’m most proud of is that she’s still the same person that I grew up with.”
Marie Osmond is paying tribute to her brother Wayne Osmond after he died at age 73.
“I’ve taken a break from social media for the past 9 months and will continue to do so as I have felt a need to unplug and spend time with family,” Marie, 65, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, January 8. “I’m so grateful that just a few weeks ago, I was able to take a long drive to spend time with my brother Wayne. I really felt the Spirit compel me to go see him, and I’m so thankful I listened to what I was feeling.”
“I will cherish those hours I spent with him for the rest of my life. I didn’t know that just a few days after my visit, he would have a massive stroke,” she continued. “I haven’t done any interviews or issued any statements until this post. The truth is, it’s just too hard to put into words, but I will try my best to honor one of the most loving men I have ever known.”
In the emotional post, Marie confessed that Wayne’s death left “another giant hole” in her heart. “There’s no question that Wayne had a long and successful career as an entertainer, musician, and songwriter. But what stands out to me as his sister were the joy-filled, humorous times I spent laughing with him and our deep intellectual conversations that left me edified,” she recalled. “He was always my safe place to go when I needed advice.”
News broke on January 2 that Wayne died in Salt Lake City, with sibling Merrill Osmond making the announcement via Facebook. “My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” Merrill wrote at the time, noting that his brother “endured much” before his death.
Wayne performed alongside Merrill and brothers Donny, Alan and Jay as part of The Osmonds, hitting the peak of their success in the 1970s. While celebrating Wayne’s memory on Wednesday, Marie shared some of their favorite moments together.
“Wayne loved deeply, and he showered this love upon his beautiful wife, Kathy, whom he loved with all his heart, and his beautiful children and grandchildren. It’s all he ever talked about! I admired him, too, for his deep love and unwavering devotion to God our Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,” she recalled. “Throughout his life, Wayne was an honorable member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was his eternal compass, and he was a light to others as he testified of God’s great plan for us in this life. If you can, listen to one of his favorite albums that my brothers wrote ‘The Plan.’”
Marie concluded by sharing support for those who might be going through a similar experience. “So right now, if I could say anything to him, it would be: Wayne, I could not cherish the gift God gave me more than to be loved by you in this life!” she wrote. “You are a true, loving brother, and I will miss you so very much. I testify eternally of my great love for you with every fiber of my heart and soul! #TillWeMeetAgain.”
She added, “I know many of you understand these feelings from losing your loved ones,” also sending her “deepest prayers” to those impacted by the outbreak of wildfires raging through Los Angeles.
Dick Wolf‘s On Call follows fictional law enforcement working for the Long Beach Police Department — but why did the procedural make an effort not to offer commentary?
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Troian Bellisario, Brandon Larracuente, Eriq LaSalle and Lori Loughlin discussed how their new show introduced important conversations without picking sides.
“At least from my own experience, the show left me with more questions than real answers. I hope that that’s what audiences experience as well,” Larracuente, 30, who plays Officer Alex Diaz, noted. “By the end of it, we’re not really trying to paint any narrative.”
Larracuente applauded On Call for “just trying to show the human side” of everyone, adding, “Hopefully audience members can relate to one of the characters [on the show] in some way, shape or form.”
“We want so many different kinds of people — who have many different views about the police — to come to this show. And we want them to take away what they take away,” the actress, who plays Officer Traci Harmon told Us. [“Executive producer] Elliot [Wolf] put it really well. He’s like, ‘We want to create a buffet and we want everybody to come to the table and eat together.’ That’s the thing. We’re not going to say, ‘Oh, you have that idea, so you’re not welcome here.’ You have that idea so you won’t like this show.’ You will see people make incredible decisions [on screen]. You’ll see us make mistakes. Nobody is a hero. And these are human beings — they just so happen to be doing this job.”
On Call, which premiered on Thursday, January 9, is Wolf Entertainment’s first scripted streaming series. The gritty drama utilized bodycam, dash-camera and cellphone footage to follow cops in the field.
While speaking with Us, Loughlin, 60, showed support for On Call‘s “intention” when “not trying to comment” any which way. Her costar Eriq La Salle found that to be an appealing part of the show when joining as a lead and director.
“We’re just trying to present real credible characters. We all spent a shift — or at least a minimum of a shift — riding along with a cop, answering calls and observing, which was extremely helpful. For me as a director, being able to be in that cruiser and to be the fly on the wall is the goal for me with the audience,” the actor, 62, who plays Sergeant Lasman explained. “We try to bring the audience in and make them feel like they’re in that car with us and that they’re on these calls with us. Everyone was in sync on what we were trying to do.”
“We’re not saying [anything], we are just presenting. It’s up to you to decide how you interpret these characters. You might like some characters, you might not like some characters,” he continued. “You might agree with some characters [and] you might not. But our job — and I think I am proud of the job that we have done — is to present what we see as the truth and what we see as the multi-dimensions of these characters.”
“Our audiences are evolving. The police procedural is something that is not new and it’s definitely a Wolf Entertainment production. It’s classic and everybody loves it,” Bellisario noted. “Younger audiences are mostly streaming. They’re watching less procedural and more character-driven shows. We’re going to use the world of law enforcement but we’re going to show it to you in a place that you don’t really see a lot, which is Long Beach. It’s an entirely new community and landscape.”
She concluded: “We’re not going to show you a case and then solve it by the end of it. There is an overarching story line to this season that our characters are following. but it’s really just about the time spent between us and this relationship and how it builds and how it falls and the betrayals and the beliefs. It’s just a really incredible amalgamation of all of these new ideas that I think present a totally original idea in the show.”
The world watched in awe as Prince William and Princess Katewed at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011, and years later, commoners still stand impressed with the couple. Though they didn’t tie the knot until 2011, Kate and William first met 10 years prior while studying history at Scotland’s University of St Andrews. The two would go on to keep quiet about their romance as they completed their education, but later had a high-profile split in 2007.
“At the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but it actually made me a stronger person,” Kate shared during a joint interview with William in November 2010. “You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger, and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time.”
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Whether you’re riding solo this year, hosting a Galentine’s Day party or have a significant other to shop for, you’re probably feeling the love in the air. The only thing that can dampen the mood is stress — stress about finding the perfect gift for your guy.
It’s much easier for men. All they have to do is grab your favorite brand of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers whereas Us gals have to think harder. What do men even want for Valentine’s Day? Believe it or not, men aren’t as different from Us as we’d expect. While they may not be itching for a bouquet of flowers, they too enjoy the finer things in life, particularly when it comes to haircare, skincare and grooming.
Most guys already have a go-to face cream and grooming tools, but conditioners are a different story. If he uses a cheap drugstore conditioner or — worse — a five-in-one shower gel, you’ll make his day by grabbing him a luxe conditioner specifically designed for men.
Whether he has curly or straight hair, suffers from balding or a receding hairline, has a sensitive scalp or any combination of factors, you’ll find the perfect formula below.
It’s a bestseller for a reason! This blend comes in three manly scents — classic, coconut apricot and santal cedar — and three sizes, so you may want to grab him one of each.
Is he practically married to the gym? This thickening conditioner is designed to thicken hair, treat dandruff and add shine, removing pore-clogging buildup in the process.
The brand name says it all! This biotin and jojoba-infused conditioner doesn’t cause any itching or irritation; instead, it leaves a shiny, hydrated mane that smells like sandalwood.
If he’s losing hair, it’s about time he tries a thickening conditioner. This eucalyptus-scented pack of two contains niacinamide to stimulate hair growth at the root.
Over 5,000 people bought this physician-formulated conditioner last month alone! While technically a unisex product, he’ll think it was made just for him. The formula provides lightweight protection against breakage, environmental stressors and more.
All he needs is a quarter-size drop to tame frizzy, unruly hair. This hydrating conditioner contains shea butter, argan oil and aloe to leave both his hair and his scalp hydrated.
Investigation Discovery’s explosive docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs features new revelations about the disgraced music mogul — including comments from a surprise interview subject — ahead of his sex trafficking trial.
The network released the official trailer on Thursday, January 9, which featured more than 30 interviews from former friends, employees and colleagues who all have individual allegations of abuse against Diddy, 55.
“I have been quiet for 18 years,” shared one person as someone else noted how “absolutely nervous” they were to speak out. In another confessional, an individual said they could “no longer just remain silent” about their experience.
The topics covered in the upcoming four-part docuseries include allegations of abuse, violence and threats. The documentary also features footage of Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie, who sued him in November 2023 for sexual assault and physical abuse. Diddy has denied all allegations and the pair settled the case out of court one day later.
After Cassie’s lawsuit, several other people came forward with similar misconduct accusations against Diddy, which he denied. The disgraced rapper is currently in prison after being arrested on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy issued a plea of not guilty after his arrest but was denied bail. He currently faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The Fall of Diddy hails from Maxine Productions, which worked on Investigation Discovery’s bombshell doc Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. According to a press release, The Fall of Diddy “uncovers the insidious and terrifying allegations of sexual assault, abusive behavior, violence, and other disturbing claims that lay beneath his success.”
The interview revelations include comments from some who claim they “saw his alleged violence and temper during his college days at Howard University and the onset of his career with Bad Boy Records, to those who knew him at the height of his influence and power in recent years,” according to the same press release. The sneak peek ended with someone sitting down to be interviewed — but their identity remained a secret.
Danity Kane member D. Woods, producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, magazine editor Danyel Smith, hip hop minister and spiritual advisor Reverend Conrad Tillard, former driver Wardel Fenderson, bodyguard Roger Bonds, childhood friend Tim Patterson, publicist Dr. LaJoyce Brookshire and alleged victims Thalia Graves and Natania Griffin were interview for the docuseries. Makeup artist Mylah Morales, who claims to have witnessed Diddy’s alleged abuse of Cassie, 38, also took part in The Fall of Diddy series.
Prosecutors previously alleged in the 14-page unsealed indictment that Diddy “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”
“Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice,” the indictment continued of the accusations, some of which date back to 2009.
Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo denied the accusations in a statement.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Agnifilo told Us Weekly after the arrest. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
Agnifilo added: “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy has since been named in dozens of lawsuits where he has been accused of sexual assault, all of which his legal team continues to deny. A civil complaint from October 2024 was amended on December 2024, to include Jay-Z‘s name in accusations claiming the duo raped a then-13-year-old at a party.
Jay-Z, 55, publicly denied the allegations and has since asked the federal court in New York to dismiss the case completely and have the accuser’s name made public.
“Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him — in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion — of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation, and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades,” the Monday, December 9, court documents stated. “That campaign was cynical and calculated to force payment of an exorbitant sum of money — Defendant would have to pay X millions of dollars irrespective of the truth, or else.”
The filing continued: “When Defendant refused to pay and instead took measures to establish his innocence, this unnamed Plaintiff and her self-promoting counsel (whose name has been splashed across headlines and press conferences under auspices of representing her) went to extraordinary lengths to shut down fair defense. But those efforts, too, failed.”
The Fall of Diddy airs on Investigation Discovery Monday, January 27, and Tuesday, January 28, at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes will also be available to stream on Max.
A royal tribute. It was considered a high honor whenever the late Queen Elizabeth II would allow family members to borrow her jewels — and Princess Kate Middleton made sure to return the favor by honoring the late monarch with her chosen gems.
Throughout her seven decades as Britain’s longest-reigning sovereign, the queen — who died in September 2022 at age 96 — would lend her jewelry out on special occasions, always abiding by royal protocol. Tiaras, in particular, came with their own set of rules, including one that states family members can’t wear the headpiece until they’re married — and non-family members can’t don one until they marry into the family.
Kate first wore one of Queen Elizabeth’s tiaras at her April 2011 wedding to Prince William, sporting the sparkling Cartier “Halo” design that held her sheer veil. The stunning headpiece was initially purchased by the monarch’s father, King George VI, for his wife, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who passed it down to her eldest daughter on Elizabeth’s 18th birthday.
While Kate has often chosen to honor her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, with her style and jewels, she has also frequently worn many of the queen’s accessories — at celebratory and somber occasions alike — in the years since she wed William.
Two years prior to Queen Elizabeth’s death, a source exclusively told Us Weekly about the bond between Kate and the monarch.
“Her Majesty sees the Cambridges as the future of the monarchy and trusts Kate and William’s judgment implicitly,” the insider told Us in April 2020. “Kate asks for advice about speeches she’s due to make, whom she can depend on most within the palace and protocol dos and don’ts. The queen’s more than happy to impart her wisdom — she’s proud to be Catherine’s go-to adviser about royal life.”
Princess Kate made her way through the ranks of the royal family, quickly transforming from a commoner into the future queen consort of England.
The Princess of Wales met her future husband, Prince William, in college, and the couple tied the knot in 2011 after nearly a decade together. They went on to welcome son Prince George, daughter Princess Charlotte and son Prince Louis.
Since joining the royal family, Kate has solidified herself as an activist and a caring mother. Though the Prince of Wales is first in line to the throne, Kate has already begun preparing for the time when the pair will ascend as king and queen.
“Kate’s been taking on new responsibilities little by little over the last few years, so it won’t be a shock when the time comes,” royal expert Rebecca Long told Us Weekly exclusively in April 2019. “William and Kate are the favorite royals to take the crown in many generations, so the people of the U.K. are very excited about it.”
Scroll to relive highlights from Princess Kate’s life:
Jay-Z filed a new motion to dismiss the lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl more than 20 years ago, requesting to impose sanctions on the accuser’s lawyer.
The 55-year-old rapper filed the new motion on Wednesday, January 8, after being granted permission to do so by United States District Judge Analisa Torres. In court docs obtained by Variety and Rolling Stone, Jay-Z’s attorney Alex Spiro points to a December 2024 interview with NBC News wherein the Jane Doe accuser admitted to making “some mistakes” within her claims.
Spiro argued that the woman’s attorney Tony Buzbee — who Jay-Z previously accused of defamation and extortion — is claiming Jay-Z committed “a horrific crime without adequately vetting the allegation.”
Referring to alleged inconsistencies in her recounting of the incident, the filing continues, “By any objective measure, the fact that nearly every step in Plaintiff’s narrative — from her arrival at the VMAs to her interactions with the limousine driver and celebrities to the ride with her father — turns out to be false or highly unlikely casts considerable doubt on Plaintiff’s allegation that Mr. Carter raped her, which he did not.”
The motion also requests monetary sanctions against Buzbee and the Buzbee Law Firm for “alleging facts without a sufficient investigation.”
According to Spiro, “If lawyers do not face consequences for such a cavalier effort to destroy another person’s reputation and inflict emotional harm on his loved ones, that tactic will proliferate.”
Buzbee insisted in a statement to Rolling Stone that he would not be “bullied or intimidated” by the “desperation” of Jay-Z’s attorneys.
“He and his team think the laws and rules don’t apply to them. They are flat wrong,” the statement continued. “They also think they can bully or intimidate counsel for victims by filing meritless and frivolous pleadings full of lies and half-truths. Again, they are dead wrong. … We will address the utter lack of merit with his filing with the Court, rather than with the press.”
News broke in December 2024 that Jay-Z was accused of rape in a civil lawsuit alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. When the suit was initially filed in October 2024, Diddy, 55, was the only defendant listed. The accusations were refiled to include Jay-Z.
According to the accuser, the incident took place at an afterparty for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z has repeatedly denied the allegations against him, previously calling out the “blackmail attempt” in a lengthy statement. (Diddy, meanwhile, remains incarcerated after pleading not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges last year.)
Judge Torres previously granted Jay-Z permission to file a motion to dismiss the case against him by February 6. The accuser’s attorneys are able to file opposition papers by February 28, giving Jay-Z the chance to respond by March 14. (The judge has also condemned Spiro’s “relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks” on Buzbee throughout the legal drama.)
Despite the efforts of Jay-Z’s lawyers to throw out the case, Jane Doe has stood by her claims. “Honestly, what is the clearest is what happened to me and [the] route that I took to what happened to me,” she told NBC News in December.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
“When Josh [Hall] and I split up, I hadn’t really talked to Ant in years,” Haack, 41, exclusively shared in her Us Weekly cover story with Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa. “The whole time I was with Josh, I would worry [thinking about how] Hudson’s sports [games] are coming up, we’re going to have to be on the field together, how’s Josh going to handle it?”
Haack and Anstead, 45, split in September 2020 after welcoming son Hudson one year earlier. She moved on with Hall, whom she wed in 2022, but the pair filed for divorce two years later.
“[After we broke up] I was dropping Hudson off at Ant’s house, and he gave me a big hug and was like, ‘I’m here for you and I’m so sorry you’re going through this,’” Haack recalled to Us. “He said, ‘I feel like Josh is the source of the problem [and why] I couldn’t communicate.’ Now we’re back on track.”
The former couple are on such good terms that Anstead is also scheduled to make an appearance on her new series, The Flip Off, in a surprising twist. (Haack teamed up with Tarek, 43, and Heather, 37, for the new HGTV competition series. Originally, Hall was also slated to be in the show — but he departed from The Flip Off after their separation.)
Anstead, meanwhile, has been dating actressRenée Zellweger since 2021. Haack told Us that she has met the actress, calling her “great” — but said their friendship is different than hers with Heather. (Haack and Tarek, who split in 2016 share daughter Taylor, 14, and son Brayden, 9. Tarek went on to tie the knot with Heather in 2021, with whom he welcomed son Tristan in January 2023.)
“It’s not like Heather and I, where we spend a lot of time together,” Haack said. “It’s mostly just on the soccer field or at drop-off, but she’s super nice. She loves Hudson, and Hudson loves her. And she and Ant are happy.”
Haack, for her part, is not quite ready to dip her toe back into the dating pool just yet. “I’m terrified of men!” she told Us. “I’m taking a break and spending time with my girlfriends and my kids.”
Despite her heartbreak, Haack said she “of course” still believes in love. “I’ll always love love. I probably will [get married again] eventually,” she said. “But not anytime soon, and I’d be engaged for a minimum of like five years.”
The Flip Off premieres Wednesday, January 29, at 8 p.m. on HGTV.
For more on The Flip Off, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
For Mädchen Amick and her family, navigating her son Sly’s bipolar I disorder is a “continuing journey.”
“The longer the journey gets, it’s interesting [to see] your perspective and how it broadens out more and more, so those moments of challenge become easier to deal with because you can look at it in a bigger picture,” the actress, 54, exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “And so, even though there might be dips of challenge or some destabilization, you look at it over a longer period which has been 13 years now, and you can look at that little graph getting better and better.”
Amick previously opened up about her son’s bipolar I diagnosis in 2023, revealing Sly, now 32, was diagnosed in 2012 while in college. “Things have been going great!” she adds. “He had a bit of a challenge about three months ago when a medication was changed. … He caught it really fast, and they changed that medication immediately and they changed it back to one that was working before, but those little moments like that can be so destabilizing for the entire family, so you all have to be ready and aware and really communicate with each other.”
In addition to maintaining his sobriety, Sly now works as a “certified peer specialist” in California. “He is already becoming that big brother in that treatment center and really making a huge difference in young people’s lives that are going through what he went through but even at an earlier age,” Amick gushes. “He said it’s so meaningful for him because he feels like he’s looking at himself as a young kid. It really is quite a beautiful thing.”
Prior to his recent bout, Sly went through a “destabilization” experience back in 2021. When it comes to preventing him from destabilizing again, Amick tells Us that she, her husband, David Alexis, and daughter, Mina, 31, are always lending Sly a helping hand.
“He really trusts us as a family, so if we see signs that look like, ‘Oh, how [are] you feeling? We’re seeing some concerning signs,’ that he trusts us and listens instead of getting defensive and going, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,’ because nobody wants to admit they’re sick, right?” she explains. “He really trusts us as a family to point it out sooner than later before he even can notice it himself. And also then beyond that, creating that recovery team for, so he’s really committed to that recovery.”
Amick also notes that her son “goes to AA meetings really consistently” and is “really committed to communicating with his psychiatric team as well as continuing to search for that good therapist that also helps him put tools in place so he can start checking in with mood regulation.”
After years of ups and downs navigating the mental health care system, Amick and her family formed the foundation Don’t MiND Me, which helps people going through similar experiences and provides scholarships to those who cannot afford the care they need.
“We just celebrated three years in May [2024] with the Don’t MiND Me foundation,” she tells Us. “It’s always been a goal to one day open a treatment center and apply all of our lived experience and a team around us that we’ve really gotten to know and really believe in, and they’ve got a wealth of knowledge and many, many years of experience.”
The organization will hold its 2025 Don’t MiND Me Gala on Saturday, March 8, at the Palm Springs Air Museum. This year’s event will honor Ashley Kolaya, the director of the Mental Health Storytelling Coalition, and Amick’s former Riverdale costar Molly Ringwald.
“[Molly has] been really open about her deep anxieties over these teenage years and becoming famous so quickly and how at times it was crippling and what she would do to find her way through,” Amick shares. “So, when this gala came up this year and thinking about people making a difference, especially between advocacy and people sharing their story, she came to mind. And I thought it would be really wonderful because she’s been so open to that over all these years. So, we were out in New York and visiting, I popped the question, and she said yes!”
“To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable,” William, 42, wrote alongside a new photo of Kate shared via social media on Thursday, January 9. “George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.”
William’s sweet message about his wife comes after Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year. In March 2024, Kate shared, “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.”
“The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment,” she continued.
“It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” William said at an Earthshot Prize event in November. “So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.”
In December, Kate hosted her annual “Together at Christmas” carol concert and addressed her health battle. “I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had,” she told singer Paloma Faith. “The unplanned. But, I think lots of people this year have had such challenging times.”
On December 25, the Princess of Wales addressed her cancer battle while speaking with royal enthusiasts following a Christmas Day service at Sandringham.
“The amount of people who have written this year is extraordinary and I think cancer just really does resonate with so many families,” Kate said, per footage obtained by the Daily Mail.
“Attention! With ALL due respect, during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have garnered to victims of the fires and the firefighters,” the Hacks star wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, December 8.
Smart’s plea comes as various Hollywood events were impacted by at least four fires across Los Angeles. The Critics Choice Awards — slated to take place on Sunday, January 12, and air on E! — have been postponed, as has the Oscars nominations announcement. The big reveal was due to take place on Friday, January 17, and is now penciled in for Sunday, January 19, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (The Oscars are scheduled to air March 2 on ABC.)
“This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,” Critics Choice Awards CEO Joey Berlin said in a statement. The Critics Choice Awards will now air live on January 26.
Before fires broke out on Tuesday, January 7, Smart, 73, was feted at the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5, where she won Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy, for Hacks. She took home the prize over Only Murders in the Building’s Selena Gomez and Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson.
Numerous Hollywood stars have been affected by the L.A. fires, fueled by strong winds Santa Ana winds. By Wednesday night, another fire had broken out in the Hollywood Hills, a popular neighborhood among celebrities.
“OK, so, there is a fire right by my house,” Hough said via Instagram Stories, in a clip recorded at her home. “We’re with friends, but anybody that’s in the Hollywood Hills, I’ve just been having this intuitive feeling that we’re in a bowl of how everything is surrounding Hollywood, and now this is at the center of Hollywood. Everybody needs to just evacuate. Go, go, go, go, go. Right now.”
After sharing that message, Hough updated her followers with a second video taken in a car. She was with her dog, Sunny.
“Sunny and I are safe and we’re driving, but the reason why I say ‘evacuate now’ even if it’s not close to you, if you have somewhere to go, because: There’s traffic,” she said. “And you’re gonna be stuck in traffic. And that is not good. So everybody, just please be safe and send prayers to all of the first responders and firefighters and just come together — you know, like, all you can do is be there for each other.”
“It’s been a heavy day for me,” Brody, 51, admitted at the New York City Film Critics Circle Awards in New York City before crying, per People.
The actor regained his composure and said, “It’s hard to accept something like this when there’s so much suffering in the world. And um, you know, my heart goes out to all of the families and the animals and our colleagues.”
Brody was accepting the best actor prize for his role as László Tóth in The Brutalist. However, the tragic events in L.A. were not far from his mind.
“Most of the homes on the west side, the beach side of the [Pacific Coast Highway] are gone,” he said, per Variety. “From the Palisades on, this is our community.”
Brody went on to thank the “bravery” of first responders fighting the fires that broke out across Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7. By late Wednesday, another fire had broken out in the Hollywood Hills, and over 100,000 people are under evacuation orders, according to the Associated Press.
“I just want to thank and commend the bravery of the first responders, and their sacrifices and their meaningful work that deserves our recognition tonight,” Brody said during his speech Wednesday night.
Hilton shared via Instagram Wednesday that she was “heartbroken beyond words” over her losing her home. “Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” she wrote. “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where [her son] Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with [daughter] London.”
Crystal and his wife Janice lost their home of over four decades. “Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing,”they said in a statement to Us Weekly. “We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy.”
The statement continued, “Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends, we will get through this. We pray for the safety of the firefighters and first responders. The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of amazing people and we know in time it will rise again. It is our home.”
Heidi Montag is doing her best to “focus on the gratitude” after a fire destroyed her family’s Los Angeles home.
Montag and husband Spencer Prattlost their property as a blaze spread throughout the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, January 7. The couple and their sons, Gunner, 6, and Ryker, 13 months, safely evacuated earlier that day.
“The craziest thing when you’re packing for a fire is that your brain just freaks out,” Montag, 38, shared via Instagram Stories on Wednesday, January 8. “You’re like, ‘What do I need? What do I not need?’ It’s so overwhelming packing up a house. I mean, I only have, like, two pairs of jeans, two shirts. I got so much more clothes for the kids.”
Still, she asked herself, “‘Why didn’t I grab more?”
As her eyes filled with tears, Montag said “the main thing is that we’re safe. Got out.” But in the moment, “you really just panic and then a part of you [thinks], ‘I’m coming back.’ You know, ‘Of course I’m coming back for all [our things].’ So I’m praying for everybody else who’s going through this and all my friends and loved ones. Thank God we have our health and our children — and I know that. Just trying to focus on the gratitude. It just kind of comes in waves.”
Earlier Wednesday, Pratt, 41, delivered a poignant message on the Instagram grid.
“The one positive sign I saw as our house burned down was our son’s bed burned in the shape of a heart,” he wrote, posting Ring camera footage of the nursery.
He continued, “A sign of how much love was in this house so thankful for all the years and memories there with our family.”
Spencer’s sister, Stephanie Pratt, was the first to confirm the news.
“I don’t know if it’s a good thing I’m in London or I need to get back to L.A. I can’t think straight. What do I do? Honestly looking for advice. I’m frozen in shock,” Stephanie, 38, wrote via Instagram late on Tuesday. “How horrible for my sweet little nephews to watch their house disappear like this. They must be so scared and confused.”
Over on her Instagram Story, Stephanie noted that she was “beyond heartbroken” for her brother and their family.
“Just spoke to my dad — he tried to save my brother’s house but the wind was so strong. There was nothing he could do,” Stephanie added. “Even the fire station in the Palisades has burned down. The Pacific Palisades is completely on fire. No one is there.”
Julianne Hough has evacuated her home in the Hollywood Hills after a fire broke out in the area.
The Dancing with the Stars host took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday, January 8, to share videos of her experience.
“OK, so, there is a fire right by my house,” Hough said in a clip recorded at her home. “We’re with friends, but anybody that’s in the Hollywood Hills, I’ve just been having this intuitive feeling that we’re in a bowl of how everything is surrounding Hollywood, and now this is at the center of Hollywood. Everybody needs to just evacuate. Go, go, go, go, go. Right now.”
After sharing that message, Hough updated her followers with a second video taken in a car. She was with her dog, Sunny.
“Sunny and I are safe and we’re driving, but the reason why I say ‘evacuate now’ even if it’s not close to you, if you have somewhere to go, because: There’s traffic. And you’re gonna be stuck in traffic. And that is not good. So everybody, just please be safe and send prayers to all of the first responders and firefighters and just come together — you know, like, all you can do is be there for each other.”
An extreme wind storm, caused by Santa Ana gusts, sparked fast-burning brush fires at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7, with drivers along Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive abandoning their cars to seek safety.
On Wednesday night, a new wildfire, called the Sunset Fire, flared up in the Hollywood Hills, the famed neighborhood in central L.A. where the Hollywood Sign is located, according to The New York Times. The city issued an evacuation order for the area’s residents, many of whom work in the entertainment industry.
Since the catastrophe began, celebrities including Paris Hilton, Anna Faris and Billy Crystal have lost their homes to the fires.
Hilton, 43, shared that she was “heartbroken beyond words” over her losing her home.
“Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” she wrote via Instagram on Wednesday. “This home was where we built so many precious memories.”
Months before her reported split from husband Cash Warren, Jessica Alba said she and Warren had “become roommates.”
Alba, 43, opened up about her marriage in a candid conversation with podcaster Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt in April 2024.
“It’s all rosy for 2 ½ years, but then after that, you become roommates,” Alba revealed on Schwarzenegger’s “BDA Baby” podcast. “And it’s just, like, you’re roommates. You’re just going through the motion. It’s the responsibility. It’s a lot of, like, checking the boxes.”
TMZ reported on Wednesday, January 8, that Alba and Warren, 45, recently separated and are preparing to file for divorce. Us Weekly has reached out to their reps for comment.
The pair met on the set ofThe Fantastic Four in 2004, where Alba was the leading lady and Warren a production assistant. They tied the knot four years later.
During their 2008 vows, Alba was nine months pregnant with their daughter Honor, now 16. The couple went on to welcome daughter Haven, 13, and son, Hayes, 6.
When Schwarzenegger Pratt, 35, asked how Alba was able to find balance amid her heavy responsibilities — and ensure “your husband feels tended to” — Alba made a face.
“If you’ve figured it out in your relationship, let me know,” she quipped, adding, “You know, I think that [Warren] probably gets the short end of the stick. … It’s hard. It’s impossible.”
Alba said that she and Warren had previously tried to schedule regular date nights where “we won’t have our phone and we’ll just talk. But then that stopped because of whatever – and so we’re just not consistent.”
She advised Schwarzenegger Pratt’s listeners that it was important “to communicate when you’re unhappy and nipping it right away instead of letting it sort of, like, fester — and then you have animosity and then it explodes.”
Alba also noted that she and Warren had “gone through that,” since they’d been together so long, and joked that “he basically stole my 20s and my 30s.”
“We have, obviously, the friendship, the comfort of, like, ‘You’re not going anywhere,’” she added. “And so sometimes you don’t treat those people the best, right? You don’t consider their feelings in the way that you would consider other people’s feelings. So that is something that I think is a constant — it’s a constant one to work on.”
She said that married couples should avoid discussing topics such as kids’ schedules during alone time together.
“That date night, or that time, is when you really shouldn’t talk about the annoying stuff that you talk about during the week anyway. It is the time to sort of, like, get past that and check in in a different way. But it’s hard. It’s really hard.”
Hollywood productions and industry events have been halted amid the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.
“The past two days have brought unprecedented risk to life and property from multiple area wildfires, while also placing extreme demands on public safety personnel,” nonprofit Film LA wrote in a Wednesday, January 8, production alert. “With deepest appreciation for the efforts of local firefighters, police and paramedics at this difficult time, we advise the production community that personnel resources ordinarily available to support film production may not be available during the local State of Emergency.”
The statement added, “The L.A. County Fire Department has specifically instructed that all permits issued for filming in the communities of Altadena, La Crescenta, La Canada/Flintridge and Unincorporated Pasadena are withdrawn. Other permit revocations are possible.”
Many stars have had to evacuate their homes, including Mandy Moore, Spencer Pratt, Cameron Mathison and more. Several of their respective properties had even been destroyed by the blaze.
“I love you, Altadena. Grateful for my family and pets getting out last night before it was too late (and endless gratitude to friends for taking us in and bringing us clothes and blankets),” Moore, 40, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday. “Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too. Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together.”
Keep scrolling to see how Hollywood has been affected by the wildfires:
Scripted Series
Many TV shows that film on soundstages in Los Angeles have temporarily shut down production, including Grey’s Anatomy, Hacks, Happy’s Place, Suits LA, Loot, NCIS, The Neighborhood, Abbott Elementary, Doctor Odyssey, All American and The Pitt.
Game Shows and Talk Shows
The Price Is Right, as well as late-night series After Midnight and Jimmy Kimmel Live! have also been put on pause.
The Critics Choice Awards — slated to take place on Sunday, January 12 — have been postponed.
“This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,” CCA CEO Joey Berlin said in a statement. The Critics Choice Awards will now air live on January 26.
The BAFTA Tea Party was also slated to take place on Sunday, but will similarly be pushed back to an unknown date.
On Wednesday, the WGA West a WGA East announced in a statement that the Writers Guild Awards nominations announcement was also postponed due to the ongoing wildfires.
“With Los Angeles under a state of emergency due to multiple wildfires, we will be delaying the announcement of nominees until Monday, January 13, 2025,” a statement to Us read.
Late on Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the Oscar nominations announcement has been pushed back from Friday, January 17, to Sunday, January 19.
Film Premieres and Screenings
Special West Coast premieres and screenings for movies like Unstoppable (starring Jennifer Lopez), Wolf Man, The Pitt, The Last Showgirl and A Complete Unknown have been canceled.
At the start of episode two, which aired as part of the two-part premiere on Wednesday, January 7, Nicole, 33, informed surfer Alana Blanchard and Disney alum Kyla Pratt that her ex is Kelce, 35.
“He’s dating Taylor Swift,” she said. “I just get a lot of s— online because he’s dating such a mega superstar.”
Nicole and Kelce dated on and off for five years and before calling it quits for good in 2022. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end started dating Swift in summer 2023.
Later in the two-part premiere, the Special Forces soldiers pull up an article with the headline: “Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole asks trolls to ‘leave her alone’ as Taylor Swift releases new album.”
The article was originally published by The Independent in April 2024. At the time, Nicole had tweeted, “There’s just no way I can fully digest all these new albums. I’m still on Cowboy Carter.”
The post was taken as a dig at the release of Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department a.k.a the first album that features tracks inspired by Kelce.
“I’m unproblematic. Mind my business. Never respond to the constant vitriol,” she fired back at the time?. “Solid as they come & don’t expect a pat on the back for it either. Just know everyone has a breaking point & would love for ‘yall’ (because you know exactly who you are) to leave me alone.”
On the show, one of the spiders told Nicole that they wanted to explore what happens “when social media becomes a battlefield.”
Elsewhere in episode two, the rest of the cast chatted about Kelce.
“I didn’t know that that was her ex,” Pratt said before Blanchard asked, “Is he a football player?”
Wide receiver Golden Tate subsequently informed them that Kelce is “arguably the greatest of all time to play tight end.”
“OK we ain’t here to pump that f— up right now,” Pratt declared. “We’re just gonna say he good.”
Keep reading for more quotes from Nicole about Kelce and Swift:
The Public Breakup
“Going through a public breakup, just to be frank, is overwhelming,” she said in a confessional on episode two. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. Being reduced to a headline —to something so small as someone’s ex-girlfriend — I feel like if I complete this it will be a massive impact for myself.”
A Fan
“I really like, like, her,” Nicole told Blanchard and Pratt on episode two, referring to Swift. “I think she’s very talented.”
An Interrogation
Before calling Nicole into the interrogation room on episode two, the Special Forces soldiers learn how Nicole was dragged into Kelce and Swift’s relationship online.
“Yeah it’s pretty consistent [and] exhausting,” she told staff about the discourse. “It doesn’t matter — I could post about the sky being blue and people will have a response about an ex and their new situation. It’s inadvertently affected me to the point where it makes me question my overall value as a person.”
Nicole then began to cry. “It’s just the comparison. It’s just, like, on loop. I think I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with that.”
When she got back to her costars, Nicole explained what happened. “They pulled up an article about my ex. I didn’t think they were going to do that,” she said. “They’re just really good at, like, putting the pieces together to the feeling of me needing to prove myself to people.”
Carey Hart — a motocross champion who is married to Pink — replied, “Well, good. Well, move forward from that s—.”